NTSB Identification: ERA15LA124A
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident
occurred
Monday, February 09, 2015
in
Sebastian, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date:
07/13/2015
Aircraft:
DEHAVILLAND DHC 6 TWIN OTTER, registration:
N30EA
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.
NTSB
investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation
and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft
accident report.
A de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter airplane, N30EA, collided with another Twin Otter airplane, N70EA, on the runway. The pilot of N30EA reported that, once she started the engines, the airplane rolled forward and to the left 180 degrees because the steering-tiller had been positioned sharply to the left when the airplane was last parked.
The pilot stated that, when she applied the brakes, there was no response, and the airplane subsequently collided with the right wing of N70EA.
The pilot of N30EA reported that, after the collision, she noted that the hydraulic circuit breaker was open; this would have resulted in insufficient hydraulic pressure to control the parking or pedal brakes.
The pilot of N30EA said that she should have noticed that the hydraulic circuit breaker was open before she started the engines because it was part of the Before Starting Engines checklist.
A de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter airplane, N30EA, collided with another Twin Otter airplane, N70EA, on the runway. The pilot of N30EA reported that, once she started the engines, the airplane rolled forward and to the left 180 degrees because the steering-tiller had been positioned sharply to the left when the airplane was last parked.
The pilot stated that, when she applied the brakes, there was no response, and the airplane subsequently collided with the right wing of N70EA.
The pilot of N30EA reported that, after the collision, she noted that the hydraulic circuit breaker was open; this would have resulted in insufficient hydraulic pressure to control the parking or pedal brakes.
The pilot of N30EA said that she should have noticed that the hydraulic circuit breaker was open before she started the engines because it was part of the Before Starting Engines checklist.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
- The pilot's failure to conduct all of the required items on the Before Starting Engines checklist, which resulted in her failure to detect an open hydraulic circuit breaker and led to insufficient hydraulic pressure to operate the airplane's brakes, her subsequent loss of airplane control, and ground collision with an airplane.